In Solitude I Sit

Screams of merriment
intermingle with squeals of delight
while a cacophony of sounds
float upon the air.
Ear-covering loud to others
but for me, it may as well had been but a whisper.

I'm lost within my mind, as I sit in my rocking, metal chair
atop a raucous world (at least for me) where
exclamations are screamed,
(all in good fun) between patrons and carnies.

An interminable clink and clang
followed by jeers of "Winner, winner, we have a winner!"
to "Try again, just three for five" and of course the old
standby, "Everyone's a winner!"

I smile to myself, as memories of
days gone by fill my mind.
We were an island unto ourselves
(my husband and I, that is), and on this mighty
creaking wheel, we went around a world
of our own devises.

Dreaming of what's to come
and reminiscing of what has been.
Laughing while we planned our future,
wiping away tears of days gone by.

With kids raised, no longer home,
upcoming years were going to be our own.
But sometimes, it doesn't matter what's planned
or who it involves, nor how many years invested.
(Because as we all know, life just isn't fair).

A jolt awakens me from my daydreams
alerting my eyes and ears to open once again.
Absentmindedly, I take a bite of popcorn and reflectively grin--
remembering.


Theme: solitude. Setting must be in on a carnival ride or at the circus.
Words to use: cacophony, popcorn, exclamation, interminable, island
Words NOT to use: noise, quiet, the, there,